Great post, Laurie!

As someone who has personally changed careers twice in my life thus far, and who has had mentors to help that shift, as well as mentoring others through the same, I only see 2 things I’d like to add.

The final note about not relying on the internet – I would recommend getting Linked-in connections to people in your target field, and then requesting phone or in-person “informational interviews”. Tell them it will only take 30 minutes, and offer to schedule at their convenience.

Then you can ask questions about what education or experience you’ll need under your belt to get where you want to be, what might set you apart as a candidate, and you’d be making a valuable contact for the future. Give them a copy of your resume, and don’t ask for anything but friendly advice. If you’re in a highly competitive field – link up with someone in a distant market who won’t see you as a competitor and use email and telephone.

The second thing is actually part of what I hint at in the first. Find the baby steps that will get you headed in the direction to meet your goals. One great way to do that is to find projects in your existing job that you can add to your “experience tool belt”.

For example, when I was working in a very numbers-oriented IT job at the phone company, and I wanted to become a writer, I asked to be able to write an article for the next newsletter. The boss saw it as taking strange but good initiative, I saw it as getting actual work experience toward my new direction. I was honest with my boss about my dreams and goals, and he helped me find new ways to do that (e.g. writing technical manuals instead of just running reports. Yes, technical writing’s not exciting, but “check” toward more paid writing experience!)

Try to think of “crossover” positions that might help you – positions that take advantage of your existing skill set and your target goal. This takes a LOT of research and brainstorming, but can be very rewarding.

Last, but not least, think of every new job as a semester at “Experience University.” Think of your workload as your class load, and figure out if you need to take some pre-requisites before you change majors. Ask your boss to do something in that direction.

It sounds silly to talk with your boss about your long-term career goals if it means “robbing” them of your valuable service, but a good boss will be interested in developing you in a direction you want to move in. It will make you happier and more motivated in the mid-term, and can payoff well for the company if you transfer internally rather than leaving.
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I think the one about looking at it as a career rather than a short-term job is huge. It’s hard for a lot of people, if they make the move to work at home, to respect their own business.

A few things that have really helped me and the writers I’ve coached are:
- Have a plan for each day. Don’t just dive in and put out fires all day – set a few goals so by the end of the day, you know you’ve accomplished something.
- Work on your business consistently. No matter what it is, every business needs marketing – and that should be done every day… even if you’re busy.
- Build systems so you’re not constantly reinventing the wheel. If there’s a task you expect to have to do more than once, document how you do it. Ultimately you may be able to outsource it – and by having the documentation done, it’s a lot easier to train someone to help you.

Thanks for a great post. Looks like a wonderful book.

These are great tips — thank you!

Hi,

I changed careers successfully when I was 35. I went back to school, got my MBA (Master’s of Business Administration), and now I’m the Executive Director of a nonprofit organization. I love what I do, and I’m so glad I quit my previous job as a teacher. I liked teaching, but it wasn’t the right job for me.

If any woman is thinking about changing careers, I urge her to do it as soon as possible! Let the money and family problems sort themselves out. Life’s too short to waste in a job you hate.

Chelsea

Hi Peter,

Thanks for your comment; welcome to See Jane Soar!

I don’t think it’s easy to compare men and women with regard to changing careers. There are so many single mother households, which keeps women “stuck” in their jobs. And, most two-parent households need both partners working, which makes it more difficult for either partner to change careers successfully.

But that said, in my household it’d definitely be more difficult for my husband to change careers than it would be for me!

Laurie
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